


stay a while longer

by _prettysetters (fandom_sister)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Blood, Miya Atsumu-centric, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tattoos, Temporarily Unrequited Love, a whole lot of soulmate tropes just mashed into one fic, almost (implied) fwb, but changes to kiyoomi's focus in the end, i apologise for the angst, i honestly have no idea what i was thinking, rated for kissing and pain, there are a bunch of universes in this fic, universes really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29780187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandom_sister/pseuds/_prettysetters
Summary: there's this myth about two lovers. time and time again, they meet, only to have to say goodbye again. they keep trying to find their way back to each other, but everything keeps falling to ruin. fate is cruel like that. it lets you love and feel and hope before snatching everything away until you're just a husk of what you once were— a whisper of grief amongst so many others.the myth never ends in one way. there's no universally acknowledged "happily ever after". the only thing that repeats itself, in each legend- in each story passed- in each whisper of worry, is that the lovers say goodbye.they always say goodbye.or3 universes in which Atsumu meets Kiyoomi and remembers and 1 universe where Kiyoomi remembers him.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24





	stay a while longer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [harbingereleven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/harbingereleven/gifts).



> happiest happiest birthday to one of my favorite writers. 
> 
> you give me angst, so in turn i shall return it (but with eventual happy endings bcs i'm weak like that aha).

There's this myth about two lovers. Time and time again, they meet, only to have to whisper a soft goodbye again. They keep trying to find their way back to each other, but everything keeps falling to ruin. Most adults say this teaches you to persevere, but really Atsumu thinks Fate is just cruel like that. It lets you love and feel and hope before snatching everything away until you're just a husk of what you once were— a whisper of grief amongst so many others.

The myth never ends in one way. There's no universally acknowledged "happily ever after". In some, they both end up dying. In others, they feel the intensity and burn of a thousand suns that tears them apart. In a few, they drive themselves insane with their love. The only thing that repeats itself, in each legend- in each story passed- in each whisper of worry, is that the lovers say goodbye. 

They always say goodbye.

I.

The first time it happens, Atsumu is taken aback. The soulmark for this universe is a scrawled shadow of words developed by scar tissue; they're the last words your soulmate will ever speak to you. Most people don't have soulmarks, and even if you have one, there's only a 5% chance you'll actually meet them. 

The first time it happens, Atsumu- well, he isn't quite sure how it happens. 

The lights in the bathroom are fluorescent and harsh. An empty packet of hair dye lies on the floor. Atsumu has feral delight etched onto his grin and part of him still can't believe Kiyoomi is here, in this washroom, willingly- albeit hesitantly- allowing him to dye his hair. Although, he supposes, Kiyoomi did lose the bet.

The bet on his twin and best friend, no less. Atsumu should be ashamed, but if he's really being honest, he's just relieved the two idiots resolved their issues and began dating for real. He may never actually say this to their faces but all he wants is for Osamu and Rin to be happy. Which at this moment, is with each other. Gross.

Kiyoomi lets out a small sound as Atsumu begins rinsing his hair. It's a small squeak and it has Atsumu giggling quietly to himself. 

"What are you laughing for," Kiyoomi squawks indignantly, from where he's bending under the steady stream of water. Apparently not quiet enough then.

"Nothin' fer ya ta worry 'bout, Omi-kun." He says through a smile, "absolutely nothin' at all."

The latter lets out a noncommittal hum, and Atsumu's smile widens. He hands Kiyoomi the towel and from the corner of his eye, he notices the words scrawled on his forearm in pretty calligraphy seem to glint, almost  _ shining _ . He finds himself staring at it longer than he usually would have.  _ I like you, Atsumu. _

It's all a little too cliched, he thinks. He scoffs at the mental image of being a modernized Romeo and Juliet. If it was him, he would have confessed when he still had time. Wistfully, he finds himself thinking about the other boy with him in the washroom that suddenly feels a lot smaller than it originally was. Too bad Kiyoomi had no soulmark— or at least none that were visible.

Atsumu shakes his thoughts away before turning around to find Kiyoomi almost done drying his hair. Perhaps it could've been the tension sparking in the air like electrons continuously bouncing off each other or it could've been a shadow bouncing by, but for a moment- just a moment- Atsumu finds his breath stuck in his lungs; a thorn prodding the side of his rib cage. A small smile dances off Kiyoomi's face when he looks in the mirror.

"So whatcha think, Omi-kun?" Atsumu chokes out- voice somehow sounding normal enough. He looks at Kiyoomi in the mirror, touching the ends of his now pink hair. 

"It's okay," he says, but the smile says otherwise. The smile says he absolutely adores it. Atsumu has learned to read between Kiyoomi's expressions since they first started working together. There's a small pause and Atsumu wonders if he should say something when- "I- I want to tell you something, Atsumu."

This is not the first time he has uttered Atsumu's first name, but the way the syllables roll past his lips in comfort sparks something in the blond. He nods mutely.

"I like you, Atsumu."

The mirror seems to mold and melt, and in it, Atsumu briefly catches Kiyoomi's eyes, hyper-aware of his own widened ones. And perhaps it  _ was  _ the tension because the next thing he knows, there's a great zapping sound and brilliant, white light flooding the room. Atsumu feels the burn depicted only in fiction books about soulmates spread like wildfire from his right forearm- from his soulmark. His mouth twists itself in agony.

Distantly, he hears Kiyoomi scream, ravaged and scared. He opens his eyes enough to see Kiyoomi twisting and writhing. His hands are splayed out in between them, almost as though he's reaching out to Atsumu. He tries to hold his own up; he tries to reach across the distance. Their fingers barely graze past each other before falling away, wasted. A shock of pain has the both of them keening again. There is an icy sort of fire that courses through Atsumu's veins. 

Hoarse from screaming, he managed to scratch out a throaty " _ Kiyoomi. Love. _ " He coughs once and then twice. " _ You. _ " 

Kiyoomi lets out a muffled sob. In the midst of the blinding pain that passes through him again, Atsumu briefly makes out the flashing scrawl that shows on Kiyoomi's hips- his shirt has ridden up from all the writhing.

_ Kiyoomi. Love you. _

It hurts more than the lightning that is coursing through his body.

The world spins.

Everything goes black.

* * *

When Atsumu opens his eyes, he has the vivid realisation that it is a dream. It is a strange sort of feeling- to realise that you  _ are _ dreaming and you can't exactly wake up. A sudden calm washes over him. Very far away, he can make out the sounds of crashing waves and the salty ocean air.

A voice drifts over to him. He can't place the voice to a face but he has the distinct feeling he  _ knows _ who it is. 

"I like you, Atsumu."

The sounds of the ocean sharpen and he shuts his eyes. A salty summer breeze ruffles his hair and everything goes dark again.

II.

The second time it happens, Atsumu is still quite confused. And a little scared. The soumark for this universe is a flower tattooed on you. The flower signifies the relationship between your soulmate and you; soulmates have the same flower tattoos. Everyone has one. Atsumu has a bouquet, tattooed in color on his ankle.

The second time it happens, there is tension, thick as the layer of snow falling outside, between Kiyoomi and Atsumu. Neither of them make a move to address it. 

The room is dark; the only source of light being the opened curtains, setting everything awash in a flurry of white. Atsumu looks over at Kiyoomi who has an eyebrow raised, moles following suit- pale skin glistens under the light.

Want thrums in Atsumu's veins. The words that press against the back of his lips threaten to fall; he clenches them between his teeth and swallows it down. It gets stuck in his throat.

So instead, Atsumu leans forward and kisses Kiyoomi.

"This okay, Omi?" He mumbles against the others lips.

The black haired man lets out a small sound of approval. "Yes. Please, 'Tsumu," he says and it takes everything in Atsumu not to combust at the use of his name. 

(He's not supposed to be in love here, he reminds himself. This is just a small deal.)

The only sound for a while is the drip-dripping of a loose tap and every atom in Atsumu's body screaming - screaming - screaming that he's here, he's here, he's here. His heart sings with delight and Kiyoomi is already taking off his shirt now. 

Atsumu devours the expansive stretch of pale skin littered with moles, scattered across like small stars. As his eyes veer off course, he notices the small tattoo in the jut of his hip bone. Atsumu's eyes widen and for a small moment, he falters.

The flowers that are tattooed on Kiyoomi are the exact same as his. The pale pink of the camellias bring back a heady rush; a boy dying his hair pink. Yellow- yellow chrysanthemums— yellow; the brightness of his smile. And the equinox flower- red spider lilies. Red, so much red: flashes of pain. Atsumu sucks in a breath as he remembers.

Kiyoomi looks over at Atsumu in concern. "Is everything okay, Atsumu?"

When he looks at Kiyoomi's eyes, Atsumu  _ knows _ \- knows Kiyoomi doesn't remember, not in this universe. So he points from the tattoo on his hip bone to its twin on his ankle.

He feels it the same time Kiyoomi's eyes widen. "We're soulmates," he breathes out. 

Atsumu nods. He can't speak anymore. He sucks in another breath as the ghost of a knife pierces through his rib cage again. Again. Again. It feels as though there are several ice-picks lodged through his chest.

He doesn't quite know when he closed his eyes, but he opens them when he hears a cough next to him. Blood drips down Kiyoomi's chin; he's clutching his chest the same way Atsumu is. An icy pain erupts from his ankle and somewhere from the haze, Atsumu makes out the way Kiyoomi moves to grab his hip.

Their soulmarks twinge in synchrony; a rainbow flashes bright from both of them. 

Atsumu reaches out to hold Kiyoomi. The latter presses a soft kiss to his knuckles before falling away. 

"Kiyoomi," Atsumu says.

"Find me." Kiyoomi replies. The earth shudders and groans; he falls away, carried by wisps of wind and grief and dust.

Atsumu tries to follow him— another thorn grows on the underside of his chest, pokes into his lungs. The words- an apology, he realises- are still stuck in his throat.

The silence that follows scream louder, and it feels like an eternity. The sharp dig of knives against his rib cage feels numb as Atsumu stares at the spot where Kiyoomi was- the spot where a pile of camellia, chrysanthemum and red spider lily petals now lay.

He opens his mouth to scream.

The world fades away.

* * *

Atsumu is back in the same place. The waves are crashing harder than before this time. Louder. Furious. Something feels wrong. The sun is shining harsher than before. Too bright.

"Find me." A voice begs- pleads him. It's soft— barely discernible over the loud cacophony of the ocean. The wind leaves a slow caress down his back. He shivers.

The storm roars to life. The sun bursts. 

Atsumu flinches and shuts his eyes.

III.

The third time it happens, Atsumu is determined. He's going to find Kiyoomi. The soulmark for this universe is a clock that counts down the time until you either meet your soulmate or die. Once the countdown is over and you've met your soulmate, the clock resets itself to the date you met them; stuck on the date you met them for eternity. Atsumu doesn't have one.

It's not frustrating- not exactly. Atsumu doesn't really care much for soulmates; he doesn't care when he'll meet his. He's already twenty one when he wonders if perhaps he won't meet them. It bothers him more than he'd like to admit and he doesn't quite know  _ why _ he feels scared he won't meet his soulmate when he's never cared for them much before. He stares at the sky with an uncanny feeling that he's forgetting something.

When he wakes up, his heart heaves out a sad sigh and he barely remembers his dreams of black curls and perfect moles.

The third time it happens, Atsumu tells himself he's ready. (He's not, not really.)

The moment right before he meets Kiyoomi for the third time- or well, first in this universe,- Atsumu feels a reckoning in him, yearning, aching, desiring. It's almost midnight then; the convenience store is restocking its shelves, and the bright neon lights glint dangerously off the rows and rows of alcohol bottles in the refrigerator.

Atsumu is surveying the shelves for his favourite brand of canned beer when a hand reaches out to grab a translucent purple bottle of umeshu in front of him. 

He wouldn't have put any extra thought to it if it weren't for the soft, "excuse me" that followed. For a while, Atsumu's thoughts still and every part of him is singing with a familiarity he doesn't quite know how to place.

He turns around instinctively and a single ring goes off in his head. The man looking at him holds the umeshu liquor in one hand; black curls frame his face softly and even the harsh convenience store lighting only bends to dance and soften around his features. His eyebrows are scrunched in confusion, the two moles above one eyebrow arching ever so slightly. 

Atsumu feels the oncoming rush of a headache seep in just as his memories are placed back, like records in their correct places on a shelf. His heart is stuck in his throat and every part of him is tingling with barely concealed shock and joy when a voice calls out from further down the aisle.

"Kiyo? Are you coming?" It's a girl, almost the same age as them both. Atsumu's eyes dart to Kiyoomi's wrist and everything sinks - sinks - sinks to the bottom of his stomach like lead. The clock on Kiyoomi's wrist is stuck at 15 years, 9 months, 2 days.

Atsumu imagines the clock at 00.00.00. He imagines it resetting just as Kiyoomi turns to stare at him. He imagines this time being it. He imagines the two of them making out alright.

The Kiyoomi in front of him turns around and smiles. Atsumu wishes he had walked away then. At least that way, he wouldn't have to deal with having his suspicions confirmed. 

"Coming, babe."

Kiyoomi nods to him gently and walks away - away - away.

Atsumu feels the pain start in his chest and this time, he allows himself to fall into it. This time, Atsumu succumbs to the pain and lets it swallow him whole.

The golden-haired boy's shield splinters and putters out. The light around him dims. His golden halo falls away. Grief whispers soothingly into his ear as he contorts with each numbing thread pulled away from the lining of his chest. Atsumu does nothing to stop it.

A voice laughs with maniacal frenzy. Ghost fingers grasp the soft flesh of his heart that lays in the cage of his chest. It drips blood from every hole the thorn has poked into it. The laughter fades away into the distance. 

Atsumu clutches the place on his chest that is right above his heart.

It feels empty.

Darkness falls.

* * *

Kiyoomi is in a dark, dark place. The darkness is not horrifying. It keeps him company. Above him, high, high up, there are a million stars; they twinkle, gentle and soft.

In the distance, he can make out the soft glow of red lanterns floating away. There is a certain citric acidity in the air. Kiyoomi breathes in. Turns around.

He looks out into the darkness and speaks.

"I want to go back."

Everything stops for a while. The breeze stops; the lanterns freeze; the stars stop twinkling. A voiceless question erupts from everywhere around him. " _ Why?" _

"I want to go back." He repeats. Voice stronger. Resolute. Determined.

The darkness laughs.  _ "Very well then. What boys turn into fools by the hand of love," _ it murmurs.

Kiyoomi stares up at the sky. The night sky changes to the color of the ocean. Turquoise glistening with white foamy clouds. The sun appears from behind one; it shines golden and warm.

Everything brightens.

The world shifts to whiteness.

\+ I

When Kiyoomi opens his eyes, the world around him is quiet. The waves lap gently at the seashore; the sky is heavy with rain clouds. With a start, Kiyoomi realises where he is. The beach. A memory floats somewhere beneath the soft membrane that encloses his memories.

His eyes scan the area. The wind whispers encouragingly into his ears.  _ "Go on then. You know where he is." _

He doesn't actually. Know, that is. But it seems that his body does because he's walking already down the narrow footpath towards the forest behind him. As he walks further in, the darkness grows; he can barely see the sky anymore.

A raindrop falls on him, followed by heavy rainfall. Kiyoomi hurries his pace. The rain pitter-patters against him; his heart follows the same rhythm— gentle and nervous. He stops just short of the clearing.

When Kiyoomi looks at the boy suspended in the air, surrounded by a thin layer of gold dust, he feels his heart lodge itself in his throat. The rain doesn't touch him. Atsumu's face betrays no pain, no tension, no worry. Blonde hair frames his face gently, floating. He looks so, so peaceful.

The exhale he lets out is shaky. There is something thrumming within his veins, aching - aching - aching to be let out. Kiyoomi squeezes his fists and watches.

"Atsumu," he says. The boy's features disrupt into a scrunch. "Atsumu." He repeats.

An ache starts deep inside his bone. Kiyoomi repeats his name with more urgency. "Atsumu. Atsumu."

His eyes flutter gently. Something akin to hope flickers in Kiyoomi's chest. He walks closer; the Earth under him shudders and shakes. Rain continues to pound against his back. 

Kiyoomi reaches Atsumu just as his eyes open. The bubble surrounding him bursts and settles him gently on his feet. The golden haired boy looks at him. For a moment- just a small moment- Kiyoomi feels dread grip his chest; the cold from the rain is not nearly as numbing as it is. His eyes plead Atsumu,  _ "look at me. Remember me. Remember me." _

And then Atsumu smiles and every part of Kiyoomi eases. "Kiyoomi," he breathes.

"Atsumu," he says back. He doesn't try to pretend his voice isn't watery.

Atsumu pulls him closer until their foreheads are touching, and whispers, "you're here. You're here." 

Kiyoomi giggles softly and nods. "I'm here. And so are you."

And then, just to prove his point, he presses a soft kiss to Atsumu's lips. And again. And again. And again until Atsumu is laughing again; the sound soothes every part of Kiyoomi. 

When he moves to wipe the rain away from Atsumu's face and then his own, Atsumu only pulls him closer. "Stay a while a longer, Kiyoomi."

He smiles softly. "Okay."

**Author's Note:**

> yay, you've reached the end!
> 
> i hope - hope - hope you enjoyed reading. i didn't expect to hit 3k but here we are.
> 
> this fic was beta read by [ kurise ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaashixbokuto101) & [ nat! ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/weebXmigraine) thank you both ^^
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!


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